Steel frame wood clad table



Sept. 11, 1956 c. s. MOTTER 2,762,672

STEEL FRAME WOOD CLAD TABLE Filed Sept. 29, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 *a W s Sept. 11, 1956 C. S. MOTTER STEEL FRAME WOOD CLAD TABLE Filed Sept. '29, 1953 3 SheetsSheet 2 United States Patent STEEL WOOD 'CLAD'TABLE Charles S. Mutter, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Morton Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill;, acorporatlon oflllinois Application September 29, 1-953, Serial No; 382,892

2 Claims. (Cl; 312 14013) My invention relates to a steel frame wood clad table, or other furniture, and in the form shown and described" is particularly adapted for merchandise display and for storing merchandise convenient for access by salespeople in retail stores.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a combined display and storage table which isattractive in appearance and which is provided withremovable side wall panels which may be made. of wood, plastic, steel, or the like and which can be removed and replaced to provide different colors and-finishes for display purposescomparable tothe merchandise being displayed so as to present the'merchandise in more attractive form what otherwise might be the. situation if ordinary tableswere used.

Another and further object ofmy invention is the provision of a steel frame merchandise display table and container in which either drawers or doorsmay provide access to the inside of the table for the storingof merchandise therein or the removal of it from the table for sales purposes and,.therefore, with the drawers or doors being finished in the same manner as the panels a merchandise table is provided which corresponds. to the.

decorative scheme of the store surroundings and the. goods to be displayed, and also provides means whereby panels of different colors or finishes may be providedin order to keep the tables in general harmony with any desired decorative effect.

Anotherand further object of my invention isv thepro vision of a combined display and merchandise-storing. table which can be grouped with other units in such manner that aisles are formed for the passage of customers through the store and for close examination of the mer-. chandise on display in attractive surroundings, andwith the display tables arranged to form the aisles withoutobstruction, and the like, to allow the free movement of people through the store in the aisles formed by the arrangement of the tables.

Another and further object of my invention is' theprovision of a display table having a strongsteelframefor the support of merchandise which is placed. on the. table for display purposes and also stored therein and with removable panels secured thereto for the functional purpose of providing closure members and also'to addto the appearance of the merchandise display from which the customer can select themerchandise.

Another and further object of my invention. is. the provision of a combined display table and container for merchandise which has a strong steel frame as distinguished from a Wooden frame glued. together and which, because of age or climatic conditions, deteriorates to a point where it loses its adhesive property and the frame separates, resulting in the collapse of a table having awood frame which is glued together when heavily burdened with merchandise, with removable panels applied to the frame of various kinds and types which may be changed, if desired, to assist in the display of "ice merchandise and. present an. entirely new appearance: to acustomer.

These and other objects of my inventionwill be better and more fully understood by reference to the: accom-- panying drawings and in-which'- Fig. 1.'is a-top" plan view of my improved-table;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the table shown. in.-Fig...l;

Fig, 3 is: an endelevational viewof the table'shown-sin. Figs. 1 and. 2;

Fig. 4- is a vertical crossrsectional view on lines 4e-4- of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is-a horizontal.cross-sectional view onlines=55 of Fig: 2, and

Fig. 6 is. a detailedsectional view of: one'end of the tabl'e'on lines 66 of Fig. la

Referring now specifically to the drawings and. in which. like reference:charactersreferto like parts throughout, a table base 10 is shown made up. ofa pair of endplatesl-L and 12 and front and rear: plates 13 and 14, eachxof-theend andfrontand-rear plates having'inwardly. turned flanges 15, 15 at. their bottoms and outwardly turned: flanges 16, 16. at their. tops; which are spot-welded together atthe corners.- toprovide a rectangular base. upon. which the bottom 17 for the table rests, thebottom 17 having .a. downwardly turned web 18'therear0und, with. anoutwardly extending. flange 19 thereonv at theifront side, for purposes hereinafter described. The web 18- of the bottom 17 has an inwardly turned flange 20? which extends around its. three sides other than" at the. front to form a. more finished appearance? for the bottom and to. remove. any possibility of injury'shouldthe: freewedge of the web. 18be left'exposed in a downwardlydirection.

The bottom 17 has achannel section 21- extendinglongitudinally thereof for strengthening purposes, the. section. 2=1.having.flanges-22, 22. integrally formed therewith'which are spot-welded or otherwise fastened tothe bottom17,. thereby adding additional strength and. rigidity to-thei bottom 17,..which is normally made of sheet metal.

Two end framesforthe table are provided, each frame consisting of front. corner posts. 23 and 24- and. rear corner posts. 25 and. 26: which are channel. sections? U-shaped. in cross section,.with the corner posts-23'andi' 25 at one. end of the table. having the open side of-thein channels facing each other and connected by a--lower. cross.brace..2-7 and. an upper cross brace 28, each of: these braces. 27 and. 28 beingchannel-section's slightly narrower? thanthechannels. 23 and 2-5 within-which they are fitted" and. are. spot-welded thereto at their ends. An-intere mediate horizontal. brace 29, generally U-shapepin cross section, is. provided. which is. connected to the.posts;.23 and 25' at. each, of its ends. and. which" hasa horizontal.-

extensioni3'0 projecting from one of its'flanges,.for'pur.-

poses hereinafter described, thereby making a. complete; frame; The frame at the. opposite end: of the; tableisi. generally similar. to .the. frame hereinabove. dCSCllbGd-Hlldr compri'sesfthe front. corner. post 24vand thetrear corner: post 26, each of the posts. being channel-sections, withi the open side. of. thechannelstoward each other, Wiliha lowerv cross.l brace 31 being. fitted betweenthe: fl'ar'igesr of'tlie .posts.24v and 2.6 and welded thereto, andvantupper brace (not shown)- similar to the. upper. bracei28. secured. at each of itsends. to. the'corner posts: 24 and: 26, and: an'intermediate brace (not shown) similar to the/brace; 29is secured at each of its ends to the posts 2.4:and26; therebyproviding frames at. each of. theends of theftablm. Gussets 3'2, 32. areprovided which are spot-weldedto the cross. braces 27. and 2 8. and to theposts 23 and 25; and'24 and 26, to strengthen the. frames. ateach of;their-' corners; I 1

A rectangular frameissecuredto the front: of the tablew which consists of a vertical side member 33 fitted against the web of the corner post 23 and held in position by studs 34, 34, a second side member 35 fitted against the web of the corner post 24 and held in position by studs 34, 34, a top rail 36 fitted to an angle bar 37, and a bottom rail hereinafter described. A flange 38 of the bar 37 is elongated and turned upon itself to form a closed guideway 39in the top rail 36, within which the upper edge of a sliding door 40 extends, with a parallel guideway 41 being formed in the said top rail 36 for securing the upper edge of an outer sliding door 42. One flange 43 of the angle 37 is outwardly turned to a vertical position for purposes hereinafter described. The corner construction at the opposite end of the table at the upper end of the corner post 24 is the same as that hereinabove described with respect to the corner at the upper end of the corner post 23 (Fig. 4 of the drawings).

A bottom rail 44 is provided which is mounted upon the flange 19 and secured thereto by screws 34, 34, and in abutting engagement with the web 18 formed on the bottom 17, with an inner guideway 45 therein Within which the inner sliding door 40 is mounted, and an outer guideway 46 in parallel relation with the guideway 45 within which the outer door 42 is mounted. The inner door 40 and the outer door 42 are of sufiicient width when positioned at opposite ends of the frame to form closure means for the front of the table, but may be moved in the guideways to allow access to the inside of the table for the placing of merchandise therein or its removal from the table, as desired. The doors 40 and 42 are made of the same material and matched as to character and finish with the other removable panels hereinafter described. While the table as shown is provided with sliding doors, hinged doors may be provided. The doors may be dispensed with and sliding drawers mounted inthe table, in which case the outer end panels of the drawers would match the wall panels hereinafter described, and the frame, consisting of the vertical side members 33 and 35, the top rail 36 and bottom rail 44, may also match the side panels as to material and finish.

' A rear wall 47 has vertical inturned side flanges 48 and 49 thereon which are fitted against and bolted to one of the side flanges of the corner posts 25 and 26, respectively, by bolts 50, 50 and which has an inwardly turned bottom flange 51 thereon which is bolted or otherwise secured to the bottom 17, and has an inwardly turned top flange 52 thereon for purposes hereinafter described, and has a channel section 53 therein for strengthening and supporting purposes, with flanges 54, 54 thereon which are spot-welded to the back wall 47.

A pair of end panels 54 and 55 is provided of substantially the same thickness, character and finish as are the sliding doors 40 and 42 and of such dimension that they form enclosures for each end of the table. The webs of each of the corner posts 23, 24, 25 and 26 are turned upon themselves, with a flange 56 in each instance being offset from the end of the web to form an angle with the web within which the side edges of each of the panels 54 and 55 are fitted, with the panel 54 being fitted against flanges 56, 56, the corner posts 23 and 25 and held in position by spring clips 56a, 5611 which engage the cross braces 27 and 28 at the top and bottom of the end frame and the flanges 56, 56 on the corner posts 23 and 25, thereby holding the panel 54 in position on the table and providing means whereby the panel 54 can be removed and replaced if desired. The panel 55 is mounted on the opposite end of the table and is a duplicate of panel 54, and is held in position by spring clips such as 56a, 56a which engage the inner faces of the flanges 56, 56 on the corner posts 24 and 26 and the flanges on the bottom cross brace 31 and the top cross brace of the end frame.

A center shelf 57 is provided which is supported at its rear side by the channel section 53 secured to the back wall 47 and at its front center by a post 58 resting upon the bottom 17 and secured thereto in any approved mannet. The center shelf 57 is. s pported at one of its ends by the flange 30 on the intermediate cross brace 29 and at its opposite end by the intermediate cross brace similar to the cross brace 29 and is bolted to the flange on the cross brace 29 and to the other intermediate cross brace at its opposite end.

A top 59 having a vertical flange 60 therearound is provided, the said flange 69 having a horizontal extension 61 thereon which rests upon the flange 52 on the back Wall 47 at the rear and upon the top rail 36 of the door frame at the front, and is also fitted against the flange 43 on the angle 37 across the front. Short channel sections 62, 62 are welded to the under side of the top 57 and rest upon the top cross brace 28 at each of its ends at one end of the table and the top brace of the end frame at the opposite end of the table. Channel sections 63, 63 extend diagonally across the under side of the top 59 for strengthening purposes, and a border rail 64 made of wood preferably to match the finish of the doors and end panels is provided which is placed against the flange 60 and upon the extension 61 and secured thereto in any approved manner, the said rail serving to improve the appearance of the table and to prevent merchandise from sliding off the top 59 and over the side of the table. A wood top panel, corresponding to the end panels and doors, may be fitted inside of the border rail 64, if desired, if such a top were desirable from either an appearance or functional standpoint.

The operation and use of the table will, it is believed, be readily understood from the foregoing description in that a steel frame is provided to which end panels are detachably secured, these panels being made of plywood, if desired, or of finished wood in unit form with matching doors and a border rail of the same type and finish of plastic material or suitably finished steel panels may be used, thereby producing a table or table shell which can be fitted with shelves or drawers which would close one side of the shell instead of doors as shown, depending upon the use or purpose for which the unit is intended, and having an internal framework of steel which will last for a long period of time. There is no drying out of the glue used in wood frames for sales tables and a sales table according to my invention can be used in any climate without deterioration. If desired, new panels and doors can be applied having various finishes, so that harmonizing effects can easily be secured without the expense of buying new units.

While I have described more or less precisely the details of construction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form and the proportion of parts and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A merchandising table comprising in combination a supporting base, a bottom on the said base having a plurality of corners and having a door frame supporting flange on its front edge, end frames including front and rear angle posts at each of its ends at each end of the said table mounted on the said bottom, cross braces connecting the said frames at their tops and bottoms, a top of substantially the same area as the bottom secured to the said frames and having a flange therearound, a door frame supporting angle secured to the flange on the top along the front edge thereof, a door frame secured to the vertical posts at the front of the table and to the flanges on the bottom and the top of the table, slidably mounted doors in the said door frame, a back panel secured to the rear posts of each of the frames; removable panels having turn buttons on the inner sides of the panels for securing the panels to each of the end frames of the table and a top rail extending around the top of the table and mounted in the flange thereon and projecting above the line of the top to form a retaining rail therearound.

2. A lPmhfilJdising table comprising a supporting base,

a bottom thereon having a door frame supporting flange along its front side, end frames comprising front and rear corner posts mounted on the bottom of the said table, top and bottom braces in each frame secured at their ends to the front and rear posts of each frame respectively, a top mounted on the said frames having a flange thereon around its entire periphery, an upper door frame supporting angle secured to the flange on the top member along its front side, a door frame mounted in the flange on the bottom and secured to the flange on the top and supported by the posts at the front side of the said frames, doors in the said door frame, a back panel secured to the rear corner posts, end panels for the said table and turn buttons on the inner sides of the said end panels whereby the said panels may be secured to the end frames or removed therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,830,045 Vanderveld Nov. 3, 1931 1,846,485 Hart Feb. 23, 1932 1,897,568 Bales Feb. 14, 1933 1,915,046 Bales June 20, 1933 1,944,394 Bales 2 Jan. 23, 1934 2,092,196 Wood Sept. 7, 1937 2,387,506 Freeman Oct. 23, 1945 2,572,081 Wallance Oct. 23, 1951 2,714,625 Gould Aug. 2, 1955 

